Petrobras and the Gas Technology Center (CTGÁS) are building the first test site for metrological evaluation of flow meters for natural gas in South America. Emerson Process Management, through its representative Fluxo Soluções Integradas, is building the "manifold" of the test site, which will work at the Potigas delivery station, in the city of Macaíba-RN.
The purpose of the site is to allow the testing and evaluation of natural gas flow meters, using natural gas itself as a test fluid. The site will serve meters of various technologies and diameters ranging between 4 and 12 inches.
The site will carry out long-term testing on meters to verify metrological performance and will study new measurement concepts used for custody transfer. In addition, it will be used to train professionals in the measurement and instrumentation areas of companies that deal with natural gas. The CTGÁS test site will serve the entire Latin American market for the calibration of natural gas meters, as it is the only one in operation with the capacity to carry out the calibrations in all of Latin America.
After the inauguration of the test site, CTGÁS intends to meet national and South American demands in the market for the provision of calibration and evaluation services for measurement systems, and may also extend the services to any equipment that may be used in gas pipelines and distribution networks such as chromatographs, flow computers, volume correctors and calorimeters. To complete the project, three phases were identified to be carried out:
Phase 1 - Bypass of the pipeline, through a system of "by pass" valves, varying the flow in the "manifold", keeping the same operating pressure and temperature.
Phase 2 - Construction of a test loop that, through a natural gas supply system, from the Potigas delivery station, can be supplied at different pressures. With this configuration, calibrations can be carried out by varying, in addition to pressure, flow and temperature as well, as the "loop" will have a compressor with variable speed and a heat exchanger.
Phase 3 - It will deal with the availability of a primary flow standard for the operation of the test site.
Roberto Furini Filho - Technical Consultant of CTGÁS